World Changing Response due 11/16

Mechai Viravaidya, a.k.a. the "Condom King", is chairman of Population and Community Development Association, to promote birth control, AIDS prevention and other health issues in more than 50 countries. To eccentrically prove his points, Mr. Viravaidya has pulled many stunts, including posing for cameras while drinking the same glass of water as an H.I.V.-positive person (to prove it's not transmitted that way); offering free vasectomies at his restaurants; and bringing fistfuls of condoms to World Bank talks. The name of his restaurant chain, “Cabbages and Condoms,” reflects his philosophy that contraception and condoms should be as accessible as produce in Thailand. (Even the lamps in his restaurant are protected with condoms).

For more info, visit his website at: http://www.mechaifoundation.org/mechai_home.asp. You can also view him featured on a TED Talk at: http://www.ted.com/talks/mechai_viravaidya_how_mr_condom_made_thailand_a_better_place.html

 

Reminder!!

Hi all, just wanted to remind you that Weekly Statements and World Changing Responses are due at midnight the night before class. That means that for this week's response and statement you should have them posted 11/8 at 11:59/midnight at the latest. Points will be taken off if it's posted the morning of 11/2. Thanks!

World Changing Response due 11/9

 In Spring of 2013,  one million bones - made by artists, activists, and students - will flood our nation's capital.

One Million Bones is a collaborative art installation designed to recognize the millions of victims and survivors who have been killed or displaced by ongoing genocides and mass atrocities in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burma. 

To learn more about the project and how to get involved, visit: 

http://www.onemillionbones.org/ 

Weekly Statement due 11/9

 

 Erwin Wurm is an Austrian artist who lives and works in Vienna and Limburg, Austria. Most recently, he has worked on a series of 'fat car' sculptures which are "puffy, obese, life-size sculptures that bulge like overfilled sacks". Here's a link to a short clip of one of his fat houses in the gallery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wKrTYhl9kY. If you'll listen carefully to the text from the inside of the house, it's saying "Psychological problem, grotesque, abuse, insult, fear, danger, harm. It gives hope. The house of fat gives hope." What do you think he means by this? How is the fat house and other works above effective or ineffective in reflecting the American dream?

You can see more work by Erwin Wurm at the following website:
http://www.lehmannmaupin.com/#/artists/erwin-wurm/

World Changing Response due 11/2

A few images from Adbusters, a not-for-profit, 120,000-circulation magazine concerned about the erosion of our physical and cultural environments by commercial forces. Founded by Kalle Lasn (https://www.adbusters.org/):

Weekly Statement due 11/2

Here's a documentary of interest titled the History of Advertising. Feel free to view parts or all of it and write a response. (If you follow the link to youtube you can view all 9 parts).

World Changing #3

Daniel Gold
World Changing Response
10-26-10
Big Green Buildings and Sky Scrappers
Page 245-249

I thoroughly enjoyed the World Changing article on the futuristic green building all over the world that I read about, because architecture and techniques of the future have always intrigued me. The most interesting part I read was the section on the new Oregon Health and Science University building. Not only was it built to be extremely efficient over the lifetime of the structure, but it also cost less to build than projected because of all the green consideration that went into the design of the building. There is a widely held notion that crafting a building with green consideration is a costly way to go, and the developer may eventually make his or her money back strictly based on efficiency over a number of years. The prospect that this is a misperception is a very promising concept because it means that constructing the right kind of building is nothing but a win win, economically, and for the environment.

Another interesting principle outlined in the article was the Green skyscrapers proposed like the Editt Tower in Singapore. It is one thing to call your building green and make it very efficient, but it’s another to actually intertwine it with plants and other shrubbery. This effect blurs the lines between nature, and a man made structure. It’s hard to imagine a business man would not love to come to work every day in a building like the Editt Tower, instead of a concrete box with harsh lighting, poor ventilation, and no connection to the outside world.

The final component I thoroughly enjoyed was about the Swiss Re Headquarters in London. I actually saw it in person when I went there about six years ago, but I had no idea at the time what the building was, or how environmentally sound a structure it was. All I knew was that it was beautiful and looked like an egg, so to find out that its design is so environmentally impressive, comes as a very pleasant surprise.